Card selecting mechanism



Dec. 3, 1940. w. A. PETERS ETAL CARD SELEGTING MECHANISM' 5 sheets-sheet 1 Filed July l, 1938 nd d [Pa/za w @wf C.

Dec. 3, 1940. w. A. PETERS ET AL 2,223,966

CARD SELECTING MECHANISM Filed July l, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 qmea/zard (i ofngy,

Deu 3 1940. w. A. PETERS ETAL CARD SELECTING MECHANISM Filed July l, 1938 S'Sheets-Sheet 3 @fn-5291s" rnfen ons NAMEAND ADDRESS Z 35 PHONE Nv Patented Dec. 3, 1940 2,223,966 CARD SELECTING MECHANISM William A. Peters and Leonard J. Stone, Chicago, Ill., mignon to The Bate Manufacturing Company. Orange, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Appumion .my 1, 193s, semi No. 216,921 19 emma (ci. 4o1o4 The present invention has for its main object to provide a digitally operable mechanism for causing a pack of information bearing cards to be opened to expose to view any selected card of the pack.

A further object of the invention is to pro'- vde a mechanism of the type specied which is very compact, can be produced at low cost and which is operable in a very simple manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism of the type specified which includes a receptacle for the pack of cards aforesaid which, in turn, includes a closure latch operatively associated with a card selecting means for causing the said latch to be released simultaneously with completion of the operation of said selecting means for effecting opening of the receptacle with the selected card in view by further movement of the selecting means following conclusion of the card selecting movement thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for automatically maintaining the card selecting means in the position to which it has been moved, as set forth in the next preceding paragraph, so long as the receptacle is open and for automatically causing said selecting means and said latch to be restored to initial positions by effecting closure of the receptacle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism of the aforesaid type which is so compact as to be capable of being embodied as an attachment to a desk telephone instrument of any of the several types commonly used.

Other objects of the invention will be pointed out in or readily understood from the following description.

A suitable embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein,

Fig. l illustrates in plan view, a mechanism constructed in accordance with the invention embodied as a part of an attachment secured to a telephone instrument of a conventional type, the same being disposed at the left-hand side of said attachment.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the mechanism of this invention showing the cover plate thereof in partly open position.

Fig. 3 is a central vertical sectional view of the device on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail vertical sectional.

view on the same scale as Fig. 3, taken on the line 5-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a, fragmentary plan sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail sectional view taken .on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary detail sectional view y taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a latch releas- 5 ing lever of the mechanism.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the stud shaft of the mechanism.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken on the line IU-IU ofl1ig.1.I

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary detail sectional view taken on the line Ii-il of Fig. 1.

Fig. 12` is an end elevation of the mechanism.

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary view of the mechanism showing the receptacle in open position to expose to view a selected card of the pack.

Figs. 14, 15 and 16 are face views of the central portions of the infomation bearing ,cards embodied in the device.

The mechanism includes a rotatable member disposed over a dial bearing indicia which is very similar to that of a conventional modern automatic telephone system desk instrument, said member being rotatable clockwise by insertion of a finger tip into an opening thereo'f until the finger tip engages a stop member projecting over said rotatable member, said -stop member being thus moved slightly and thereby releasing the latch of the receptacle containing the card pack at the same instant that the desired card of the pack has been selected. q

The mechanism is so constructed that the opening ofI the receptacle causes a. stop device to become disposed in position to prevent reverse rotation of the rotatable member, which is springreturned to its initial position following closure of the receptacle.

The foregoing brief description will render the following specification more readily comprehensible to those skilled in the art, than if disposed to follow the detailed description of that form of the invention shown in the drawings.v

Referring first to Fig. 3, it will be noted that the mechanismincludes a receptacle i for a pack of cards 2, the number of cards in the pack being fourteen normally, though that large a number of cards is not shown.

The receptacle i is rectangular as are also the cards 2, each of the latter being equipped with a substantially central opening, all of said openings being co-axial and disposed concentrically of a central pocket 3 in the bottom of the receptacle i.

The cover member 4 is pivotally secured to the lower end wall of the receptacle i by means of the hinge 6, the receptacle I being disposed at an incline, in the instanceillustrated, and said hinge and contiguous parts of the receptacle and cover plate being so arranged as to limit the opening movement of the cover member 4 to an arc of slightly less than 1804 degrees.

'I'he shaft 6, shown in detail in Fig. 9 is journailed in a bearing 'I of the cover member, which tion 2li through slots,

bearing is axially aligned with the pocket 3 o! the receptacle when the latter is closed. The normally upper end portion of the shaft 6 is threaded, as at 3, to receive a nut 9, and the next adjacent portion of said shaft -is equipped with iiat sides I0. This flat-faced portion of the shaft is engaged telescopically in the similarly shaped and flange-bordered opening in a circular member II vwhich is thus rotatably engaged with the cover member 4. The flanges bordering the opening in, the member II cooperate with the nut 9 and the shoulders bordering the flat sides I of the shaft 6 to secure said shaft rigidly to the said member II.

The body portion of the shaft 6 inwardly of the bearing 'I is of such length that when the receptacle is closed, the inner end of said shaft extends substantially to the bottom wall of the pocket 3.

The innermost end portion of the shaft 6 is bifurcated and equipped with a diametrically disposed cross-member or bar I2 which is disposed entirely within the pocket 3 when the receptacle is closed. One arm I2a of the member I2 is adapted to describe an arc of a circle of slightly less radius than the circular opening of the bottom card of the pack 2 and is free to pass through said opening as the cover member is swung to its open position. The other arm I2b of said member is engaged with one end of a compression spring I2c, which is disposed in a short bore of the shaft 6 spaced from its axis.

Mounted, or otherwise disposed upon the outer face of the cover member 4, is an indicia bearing dial or a set of indicia which, in the instance illustrated, comprises the letters of the alphabet disposed in pairs of consecutive order. 'Ihe several pairs of letters are disposed in a series of separate, spaced-apart areas opposed to openings I3 in the rotatable member II when the latter is disposed in its normal spring-held position, shown in Fig. 1. A clock-spring I4 secured at one end to the bearing 1 and at its other end to the member II, in any'suitable manner, and which is normally tensioned to resist digital rotation of said member II in a clockwise direction and maintain the latter engaged with a stop, is disposed between the central portions of the members 4 and II as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

Pivotally mounted between its ends on the pivot member I5 oiset and spaced from the shaft 6 between the top plate of the cover member 4 and an inner plate I6 parallel therewith, is a latch-lever I1 equipped at one end with an overturned flange I8 terminating at one end portion in a shallow hook-like projection I9 which overhangs the member II and is disposed in the path of a finger tip inserted into an opening I3 of the member II. Said lever I'I projects at said end portion and also at its other end porone of which indicated at 20a in Figs. 3 and 5 is in the cover member 4 and the other of'which is in the lower end wall of the chamber formed between the plate I6 and the outer wall of the cover member, the

aaaaeee said slots defining the limits of rocking movements of said latch lever.

'Ihe last-named end portion of the latch lever lI'I is slightly inclined upwardly from the body thereof, and is disposed to engage in the recess 2l of the latch-member 22 rigid with the rear wall of the receptacle and struck out of and offset outwardly of the said rear wall. A tension spring -23 maintains said last-named end portion of the lever I1 normally engaged in said recess 2|.

'Ihe projection I9 ofthe lever Il is disposed in the path-of a projection 24 rising from the top surface of the member Il and cooperates with the latter projection to limit the rotation of said member II by the tensioned spring I4, the adjacent end portion of said lever II being biased to engagement with the Wall of the slot through which it projects, by the said spring 23, or being incapable of being moved by the projection 24 in the latters spring-urged direction because the other end portion is engaged with the innermost wail of the recess 2|.

Pressure of a nger engaged in an opening I3 of the member I I against the projection I9 of the lever I'I upon completion of a rotative movement of the member II will cause the other end of the lever I I tobe disengaged from the latch member 22 and permit the cover member to be swung to open position. 'I'hs swing is effected automatically by a spring 25 (Fig. 13) suitably associated with the receptacle and cover and with the pintle of the hinge connecting the same in a well-known manner.

The lever I'I is equipped at one side with an integral loop formation 26 with which one end of the spring 23 is engaged.

'Ihe member II is equipped with a shallow annular ange which, asshown in Figs. 2, 3, and l2, is equipped with recesses 2'I, which correspond in number with (and which are spaced from each other equidistantly) the openings in said member II. Each of these recesses has one wall disposed perpendicularly to the plane or face of said member II and is adapted to cooperate With a pawl 28 for preventing springurged return rotation (anti-clockwise) of said member II after the same has been rotated digitally against the action of the spring I4 to a position wherein the latch lever I1 is released from the latch member 22 and the cover member is disposed in open position.

The pawl 28 is illustrated in Figs. 5 and l0 and is located in the upper right hand portion of the chamber of the cover member. Reference being had rst to Fig. 10, said pawl 28 is shown to consist of a slightly bowed strip of sheet metal pivotally secured between its ends to a pivot member 29 mounted in the outer wall of the cover member adjacent a side wall of the said chamber, and also as having an upwardly inclined terminal tongue 30 which projects through an opening 3| in the outer wall of said chamber.

A fiat spring 32 secured at one end to the upper or outer wall of the said chamber by means of the rivet 33 is disposed with its other end portion overlying the end of said pawl opposite the tongue end thereof, said spring 32 being shaped to cause it to maintain the tongue 30 normally engaged with the edge of the annular flange of the member I I, so that said tongue will .spring into the recess 2'I which is opposed thereto the instant that the cover member moves away from the receptacle toward open position.

A projection 34 extending from one side of the spring-engaged end portion of the pawl 28 projects laterally outwardly through a slot in the side wall of the cover chamber and, when the cover member is moved to closed position,

the said projection 34 bears upon the edge of a side wall of the receptacle and effects retraction ofthe tongue 3l of the pawl 23 to the position shown in Fig. 10, thereby releasing the member II for spring-return to its normal position at substantially the instant that the lever I1 is re-engaged with the latch member 22 to retain the cover member in closed position.

As shown in Fig. 4, wherein one arm of the slot ofr the shaft i in which the memberIZ is pivotally mounted is broken away, there is disposed in the bottom of the pocket 3 of the bottom wall of the card pack receptacle, a hardened wear-disk 35 to save the bottom wail of the receptacle from wear due to contact of the member I2 therewith.

Fig. 1l shows the cover member 4 in a partially open position, said figure being illustrative of the lower right hand corner portion of the g'iievice as indicated by the section line II-II of 'I'he receptacle I is shown as mounted upon the plate 33 which is provided with an opening to receive the dial portion of a desk telephone instrument of a conventional type, and which is also equipped with a collar 31 adapted to receive and be firmly secured to the stem of said instrument. Said plate 38 is also equipped at its right hand end portion with means for securing a memorandum pad thereto, said plate structure being merely exemplary of a suitable means for associating the above-described mechanism with a desk telephone instrument.

At a point in the right-hand edge portion of the receptacle, spaced from the hinge 5, the bottom wall of the receptacle is equipped with a downwardly extending bracket 38 which is pivotally connected with the lower end of a rockingarm 39. The said bracket 38 and lower end portion of the arm 39 project through a slot 40 in the plate 33, the latter being also equipped with projection 4Ito which one end of a very high tension spring v42 is attached, the other end of said spring 42 being engaged with the arm 39 between the ends thereof.

The upper end portion of the arm 39 is very slightly V-shaped, the lower portion of said V-shaped end being spring held to bear normally against the right hand side edge of the card pack and maintain the latter in contact, along its left hand edge with the left hand side wall of the receptacle I, as shown in Fig. 13. Plate I 6 is provided with a spacing ange 43, one end `of which abuts the top plate of cover member 4.

The lower or front edge of the card pack lies in contact with the flange 43a of a U-shaped plate 44 secured to the lower face of the bottom wall of the receptacle I, in the instance illustrated, which flange projects upwardly through a slot in the bottom wall of the receptacleto provide a stop for the lower front edge of the card pack. This ange cooperates with the left hand side wall ofthe receptacle and the arm 39 to maintain the cards of the pack in the position relatively to the shaft 6 wherein the axes of the central openings of the cards are axially aligned with said shaft when the receptacle is open and the same is being closed.

The upper part of the V-shaped end of the arm 39 is disposed in the path of the right hand side wall of the chamber ofthe cover member which moves the arm out of contact with the card pack when the receptacle is closed.

The shape of the arm 38 and the pressure of the spring 42 are such that practically no resistance is oiered to the upward swing of the cards with the cover member.

As shown in Fig. 10, the bottom plate I6 of the cover member is equipped along its lower front edge with projections 45 which are disposed normally at opposite sides of the flange 43a and are substantially arcuate concentrically with the pintle of the hinge 5.

As the cover member is moved to its open position the shaft 3 and arms I2a and I2-b move upwardly through the central openings in the cards of the pack until thesaid arm I2a engages an inwardly extending projection from the wall o f the opening of one' of the cards. 2

Referring to Figs. 4,- 13, 14, and 16, it will be noted that the inner larger end portion of shaft 6 is of such diameter as to fit loosely within the smaller radius portionsof the central openings in all the cards 2 except the bottom card. 'I'hese openings, except those in the top andbottom cards, are bordered respectively by arcuate recesses which progressively increase in arcuate length from the card'next the uppermost card to that next the bottom card, by an amount which corresponds to the fraction of a complete circle determined by the number of said cards. The walls vat one end of said recesses lie in a plane which includes the axis and a radius of the shaft 6,*and` the arrangement is such that when the shaft 6 and member I2 are held or turned (by spring I4) about the axis of saidv shaft totheir normal or biased positions, the arm I2a may (if not restrained by engagement of member I2 with the wear plate 35) move upwardly through all the cards except the uppermost or B card. However by turning member II the shaft 6 and member I2 may be moved about the axis of said shaft from such normal positions to bring the arm I2a to a position in which it will directly underlie an arcuate Wall portion of any card desired adjacent the arcuate recess of that card; and if the cover 4 is then permitted.i to move to open position, the spring I2c will move member I2 about its pivot and bring the arm I2a thereof into firm engagement with the nether face of such wall portion of the said desired card, and as the cover opens the arm I2av will therefore raise said card (and all cards above the same) to expose the top face of the next lower card. The spring-pressed arm I2a will act to maintain all the cards which are raised thereby as the cover is opened, rmly against the inner plate I6 and in close compact relationship. The arm I 2b of member I2 is of such length that its outer end will not in any position of said member about its pivot in which the arm I2a thereof firmly engages any of the cards 2, project beyond the outermost circumferential surface of shaft 6 ani therefore will not engage the nether surface portion of any of the cards when the said shaft and member are movedupwardly with respect to the cards through the central openings thereof. The relative positions of the portions of the several cards disposed in the path of the arm I2a when the member II has been manipulated to effect opening of the cover and separation of the cards for exposure of the top face ofthe lowermost card, are shown at the lower portion of Fig. 13. It is to be noted that the spring I2C, tends to move member I2 about its pivot in a contraclockwise direction from the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4 to an inclined position in which thearms I2a and I2b are respectively in acute and obtuse angular relations to the axis of shaft B. With the cover l in closed position, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, member I2 is engaged by the wear plate 35 and maintained thereby, against the action of spring I2c, in a position at right angles to shaft 6; but as the cover is released and moves to open position, it will carry shaft 8 and member I2 away from the bottom of pocket 3 and the spring I2c will immediately act to move or tilt said member about its pivot. 'I'he degree of pivotal movement thus imparted to member I2 before its arm I2a can engage. the nether surface of any of the cards 2 is sufficient to eect movement of the arm I2b of said member from the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4 (in which the end of said arm projectsebeyond the outermost periphery of shaft 6) to a position in which it (the arm I2b) lies wholly within the contour of the larger end portion of the shaft. Pivotal movement of member I2 under the action of spring I2c is limited by engagement of the end of arm I2a with the central portion of the uppermost or B card, or if no cards are present, then by the engagement of the end of said arm with the cover plate I6; and the construction and arrangement are such that this engagement will take place before the said spring is fully extended and While it still bears firmly against the arm I2b of member I2.

It has been previously pointed out that the lowermost card of the pack is provided with a circular opening of such diameter that the arm I2a may pass through it at any point in its rotation. This card bearing letter Y" may be termed the Y card of an alphabetical pack which, in this instance, will comprise fourteen cards.

That face of the next upper card which is normally opposed to the top face of the Y card will bear the letter Z and the other face of this Z" card will then be disposed upon the back of the remainder of the pack as shown in Fig. 13.

The said other and normally top face of the Z card will bear the letter W."

Thus the Y and Z cards are paired with respect to their opposed faces when the pack is opened in the manner of a book along the lower meeting edges of said bottom cards. The W face of the Z card is similarly paired with the X face of the next succeeding card, the U face of which is, in turn, paired with the V face of the next succeeding card.

The central opening in each of the cards of the pack except the top and bottom cards, includes an arcuate portion of the same radius as the opening of the Y card and an arcuate portion of smaller radius. The arcuate length of these smaller radius portions increases as the cards progress upwardly in the pack, the uppermost card of the latter being equipped with a circular opening of a radius equal to the smaller radius portions of the openings of the cards disposed between the top and bottom cards.

As shown at the lower end of Fig. 13, the smaller radius portions of the intermediate cards of Athe pack are so disposed relatively to each other that the arm I2a when turned to any one of twelve positions responsively to rotation of the member I I, will have a part of a card of the series disposed in its path of upward movement as the cover member swings to its open position and thus all of the cards, including the last-mentioned one, disposed between the arm I2a and the inner wall. of the cover chamber, will be swung simultaneously to expose to view the bottom face of the card engaged by the arm I2a and the top face of the next lower card.

Thus the smaller radius portion of the Z card will have an arcuate length of almost thirty degrees; the next higher card almost thirty degrees more, the next higher almost thirty degrees more than the latter, and so on.

'I'he exibility of the cards permits the top card of the pack to be readily disposed upon the shaft 8 and the lower face of that card will bear the letter 3, the opposed face of the next lower card bearing letter A," in the present exemplary illustration. Similarly, the lower face on the A card will bear letter D and the top face of the next lower card will bear letter "C.

In Figs. 14, 15 and 16, there are illustrated the middle portions of the A card, the C card and the E card to further illustrate the difference in arcuate lengths of the smaller radius portions of the openings in said cards, said arcuate lengths decreasing progressively towards the bottom of the pack.

The operation of the mechanism, as illustrated herein and hereinabove described, will be readily understood without further detailed' description, and it will be obvious, of course, that the drawings illustrate only an exemplary embodiment of the invention as adapted to a specific use without limitation as to such changes in structural details as may be required to adapt the same to other uses, except as limited in and by the appended claims.

We claim as our invention:

1. A mechanism of the kind specified comprising a support for a pack of cards equipped, respectively, with spaced apart formations disposed in predetermined relative positions, a cover plate for the pack, latch means on said support and cover plate for holding the latter normally on the pack, manually operable means on the cover plate selectively engageable with the said formation of any selected card of the pack for opening the latter to expose a face of the selected card and for simultaneously releasing said latch means and permitting the cover plate to be moved to card exposure position, a releasable device associated with said manually operable means for retaining the same in its last-named position so long as the cover plate is in its last-named position, and means for automatically releasing said device as said cover plate is restored to its normal position, thereby to permit said manually operable means and latch means to be restored to their normal positions.

2. A mechanism of the kind specified comprising a support equipped with a hinged cover plate, a pack of cards, each equipped with a formation disposed in spaced relation to the similar formations of the remaining cards, disposed between said support and cover plate, a spring-urged latch normally maintaining said plate and support in card pack confining relation, a manually operable device on the cover plate equipped with a card formation engaging device movable selectively to position for engaging the formation of any selected card for opening the pack to expose a face of said card as the plate is turned to open position, means for causing release of said latch as said device attains its selected position to permit pivotal movement of said plate, and a springcover plate swings to open position, a member of urged latch device operating to retain said manually operable device in its last-named position so long as said plate remains out of card confining position.

3. A mechanism of the type specified comprising a pack of cards equipped. respectively, with formations disposed in relatively spaced apart relation for selective engagement to open the pack for exposure of a face of a selected card, a support for the pack, a. cover plate for the pack pivotally secured to the support, said cover plate being spring-biased to open position, a springurged latch mechanism normally maintaining the plate disposed on the pack, a manually operable,` self-restoring device on the cover plate equipped with a card formation engaging device `and movable selectively toa position to effect opening of the pack to expose a face\of any selected card as the cover plate swings to open position, the movement of said device to its selected position simultaneously effecting release of the latch mechanism, and a spring-urged device associated with the support and the manually operable device for retaining the latter in its lastnamed position so long as the plate is in its last-named position.

4. A mechanism of the type specified comprising a receptacle, a pack of cards disposed within the latter and maintained thereby against lateral movements, said cards equipped with concentric openings, such openings in a plurality of the cards each having concentric arcuate walls of different radius, the portions of said openings of smaller radius of successive cards being disposed in relative positions to provide a series of successive offset surface portions opposed to the `bottom wall of the receptacle, a cover plate hinged to the receptacle and norm ally disposed to close'the latter, a digitally rotatable member mounted upon the cover plate and including a shaft extending axially through the openings of the cards of the pack, and aradial projection on said shaft adapted tobe positioned selectively to underlie any desired one of said surface portions for engagement therewith to open the pack at any point for exposing a face of a selected card of the pack as said member is rotated through a predetermined arc, said cover plate equipped with indicia coordinated with said card surface portions and affording a guide to determine the arc of `rotation of said member to effect opening of the pack to expose a face of a selected card.

5. A mechanism of the type specified comprising a receptacle for a pack of cards, a pack of cards disposed in 'said receptacle, each of successive cards of the pack equipped with a forma- \tion spaced from a similar formation of the next adjacent card and engageable to effect opening of the pack to expose a face of said card, a swingable .cover plate for the receptacle spring-biased to open position, a spring-urged latch mechanism normally maintaining said plate in closed position, said plate equipped with a series of indicia, and a digitally operable member mounted on said cover plate and equipped with a series of digitally engageable formations disposed in` coordinate relation to said indicia, the latter -being coordinated respectively with the said card formations to determine the movement of said member required to open the pack to expose a face of a selected card, said member equipped with a device underlying the pack and moving responsively to movement of said member to a position to effect opening of the pack as said said latch mechanmn being' disposed in the path of the finger actuating said member for causing said latch mechanism to assume the release position coincidentally with completion of the, said movement of said member and thereby causing opening of the pack at the desired point `responsively to opening movement of said cover plate.

6. A mechanism of the type specified comprising a receptacle, a pack of cards disposed within the latter and maintained thereby against lateral movements, said cards equipped with openings having concentric arcuate walls of different radius, the portions of said openings of smaller radius of successive cards being disposed in relative positions to provide a. series of successive surfaces opposed to the bottom wall of the receptacle, a cover plate hinged to said receptacle, said cover plate being spring-biased to open position and equipped with a series of indicia coordinated with said surfaces of said cards,` a spring-urged latch lever pivotally secured to the cover plate and normally engaged with a com- -panion latch element on the receptacle to maintain said coverfin closed position, a kshaft journalled in a bearing in said cover plate and projecting axially through the openings in the cards of the pack, a radial `projection at the inner end of the shaft adapted to be positioned selectively to oppose a said surfaceof any selected card of the pack, and a member rigidwith said shaft and equipped with a series of finger tip engaging formations coordinated with said indicia of said plate, a portion of said latch lever being disposed in the path of a finger tip disposed at a selected one of said last-named formations as the latter attains the position incident to rotation of" said member to cause the projection of the shaft to be disposed in opposed relation to the said surface of the selected card and thereby release the latch so as to. cause the cover plate to be moved to open position and the pack to be opened book-wise to expose a face of the selected card.

'1.'A mechanism of the type specified comprising a receptacle, a pack of cards disposed withinl the latter and maintained thereby against lateral movements, said cards equipped with openings having concentric arcuatewalls of different radius, the portionsof said openings of smaller radius of successive cards being disposed in relative positions to provide a series of successive surfaces opposed to the lbottom wall of the receptacle, a cover plate hinged to said receptacle, said plate being spring-biased to open position and 'equippedwith a series of indicia coordinated with said surfaces of said cards, a spring-urged latch lever pivotally secured to the cover plate and normally engaged with a companion latch element on the receptacle to maintain said cover in closed position, a shaft journalled in a bearing in saidcover plate and projecting axially through the openings in the cards of the pack, a radial projection at the inner end of the shaft adapted to be positioned selectively to oppose a said surface of any selected card of the pack, a member rigid with said shaft and equipped with a series of nger tip engaging formations coordinated with said indicia of said plate, a portion of said latch lever being disposed in the path of a finger tip disposed at a selected one of` said last-named formations as the latter attains the position incident to rotation of said member to cause the projection of the shaft to be disposed in'opposed relation to the said surface of the selected card and thereby release the latch so as to cause the cover plate to be moved to open position and the pack to be opened bookwise to expose a face of the selected card, a spring for restoring said member to normal position and automatic means on said member and said cover for cooperation with said last-named spring to maintain said member in the position to which it has been moved so long as said cover plate remains in its open position. v

8. A mechanism of the type specified comprising a receptacle, a pack of cards disposed Within the l-atter and maintained thereby against lateral movements, said cards equipped with openings having concentric arcuate walls of different radius, the portions of said openings of smaller radius of successive cards being disposed in relative positions to provide a series of successive surfaces opposed to the bottom wall of the receptacle, a cover plate hinged to said receptacle, said plate being spring-biased to open position and equipped with a series of indicia coordinated with said surfaces of said cards, a spring-urged latch lever pivotally secured to the cover plate and normally engaged with a companion latch element on the' receptacle to maintain said cover in closed position, a shaft journalled in a bearing in said cover plate and projecting axially through the openings in the cards of the pack, a radial projection at the inner end of the shaft adapted to be positioned selectively to oppose a said surface of any selected card of the pack, a member rigid with said shaft and equipped with a series of finger tip engaging formations coordinated with said indicia of said plate, a portion of said latch lever being disposed in the path of a finger tip disposed at a selected one of said last-named formations as the latter attains the position incident to ro- 40 tation of said member to cause the projection of the shaft to be disposed in opposed relation to said surface of the selected card and thereby to release the latch so as to cause the cover plate to be moved to open position and the pack to be opened book-wise to expose a face of the selected card, a spring for restoring said member to normal position, automatic means on said member and said cover for cooperation with said lastnamed spring to maintain said member in the position to which it has been moved so long as said cover plate remains in its open position and a formation on the receptacle disposed for cooperation with said automatic means to release the latter and permit spring-urged return of said member to its normal position as said cover plate is restored to receptacle closing position.

9. In a mechanism of the character described; a pack of superposed relatively separable cards; a selecting device associated with said pack and manipulatable to select any desired point of separation of the cards; means operable to move a number of said cards, determined by such a selected point of separation, relatively to the rest of said cards; and means for preventing operation of said moving means; said selecting device and preventing means being so relatively arranged that the same manipulation which causes the selecting device to selectl the said point of separation is adapted to cause said preventing 7 means to be rendered ineffective.

10. A mechanism of the character described comprising a support; a plurality of superposed cards mounted for movement towards and away from said support; a member mounted for move- 75 ment towards and away from said support, said member being biased away from said support;

selecting means movable selectively to connect any desired number of said cards to said ,member for movement therewith; and releasable holding means for ,maintaining said member positioned adjacent said support; said selecting means and said holding means being so associated that the release of the latter is adapted to be effected in and substantially at the conclusion of the operation of moving the selecting means to the position thereof wherein a desired number of cards is conlatching means being so associated that the latter is adapted to be released in and substantially atthe conclusion of rotary movement of such device to the position thereof wherein a desired number of cards is connected to the cover member.

l2. A mechanism of the kind speciiied comprising a support for a pack of cards, said cards being equippedI respectively, with spaced apart formaltions disposed in predetermined relative positions, a cover member for the pack, latch means on said support and cover member for holding the latter normally on the pack, and manually operable means on the cover member selectively engageable with the said formation of any selected card of the pack for opening the latter to expose a face of the selected card and for simultaneously releasing said latch means and permitting the cover member to be moved to card exposure position.

13. A mechanism of the character described comprising a support; a plurality of superposed cards mounted for movement towards and away from said support; a mem-ber mounted for movement towards and away from said support, said member being biased away from said support; selecting means movable selectively to connect any desired number of said cards to said member for movement therewith; releasable holding means for maintaining said member positioned adjacent said support; said selecting means and said holding means being so associated that the release of the latter is adapted to be eiected in and substantially at the conclusion of the operation of moving' the selecting means to the position thereof wherein a desired number of cards is connected to said member; and means associated with said selecting means for maintaining the latter in the last-named position thereof when said member is positioned away from said support.

14. A mechanism of the character described comprising a support; a plurality of superposed cards mounted for movement towards and away from said support; a member mounted for movement towards and away from said support, said member being biased away from said support; selecting means biased to a certain position and movable therefrom selectively to connect any desired number of said cards to said member for movement therewith; releasable holding means for maintaining said member positioned adjacent said support said selecting means and said holding means being so associated that the release of the latter is adapted to be effectedin and substantially at the conclusion of the operation of moving the selecting means to the position .thereof wherein a desired number of cards is connected to said member; a releasable device associated with said selecting means for maintaining the latter in the last-named position thereof when said member is positioned away from said support; and means whereby said device is released when said member is restored to its position adjacent said support.

15. A mechanism of the character described comprising a support; a pack of relatively separable cards mounted for movement towards and away from said support, said cards being provided with registering openings, the openings of successive cards having wall portions in spaced apart relation angularly of the openings for selective engagement to open the pack for exposure of a face of a selected card; a member mounted for movement towards and away from 'said support; and a device mounted on said member for rotary movement and adapted selectively to connect any desired number of the cards to such member for movement therewith, said device including a shaft extending through the openings in the cards, said shaft having a part projecting laterally therefrom and adapted by rotary movement of said member to be positioned selectively to underlie any desired one of said wall portions.

16. A mechanism of the character described comprising a support; a pack of relatively separable cards mounted for movement towards and away from said support, said cards being vprovided with registering openings, the openings of successive cards having Wall portions in spaced apart relation angularly or the openings for selective engagement .to open the pack for exposure of a face or a selected card; a member' overlying said pack and movable towards and away from said support; and a device for selectively connecting any desired number of said cards to said member for movement therewith, said device comprising a shaft mounted for rotary movement and extending through the card openings and an arm movably supported by the inner end of said shaft and projecting laterally from the shaft adapted upon rotary movement of the latter to be positioned selectively to underlie any one of said wall portions, said arm being spring-biased formovemen't with respect to the shaft towards the overlying cards.

17. A pack of cards for use in a selective mechanism of the character described, said cards being provided with registering openings, successive cards of the pack being respectively provided with formations which constitute wall portions of the respective card openings, the said formations of successive cards being disposed in relatively offset positions angularly of the card openings.

18. A pack of cards vfor use in a selective mechanism of the character described, said cards being provided with registering openings. said 25 openings of successive cards having wall portions which extend about the respective openings in progressively increasing lengths from one side of the pack to the other whereby such wall portions of adj acent cards are in overlapping relation.

19. A pack of cards for use in a selective mechanism of the character described, said cards being provided with concentric generally circular openings therethrough, said openings of successive cards having arcuate wall portions of progressively increasing arcuate lengths from one side of the pack to the other whereby such wall portions of adjacent cards are in overlapping relation.

WILLIAM A. PETERS. LEONARD J. STONE. 

